(ANSA) – ROME, MAY 04 – A causal genetic variant strongly associated with childhood obesity has been identified: the discovery is due to pediatricians at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Chop) and is published in the journal Cell Genomics.
The study provides new insights into the importance of a region of the nervous system, the hypothalamus, and its role in common childhood obesity. The gene could serve as a tractable target for future therapies.
Both environmental and genetic factors play critical roles in the increased incidence of childhood obesity.
Previous studies show that neuronal pathways in the hypothalamus regulate food consumption and are key regulators of disease.
By comparing the genome of obese children with that of normal weight peers, pediatricians have identified a specific genetic variant strongly associated only with childhood obesity and not with adult obesity; the gene is located on chromosome 12 and is called ‘rs7132908’ and is located near the FAIM2 gene important for the development of the nervous system.
“The discovered variant is associated with one of the strongest genetic signals ever found for childhood obesity,” explains first author Sheridan Littleton. In test-tube experiments, the researchers demonstrated that this variant is potentially associated with a reduction in neurons in the hypothalamic region.
“With further research, there is the potential to discover how this genetic variant could become the target of new therapies specifically designed to treat childhood obesity,” he adds.
In addition to childhood obesity, the locus in question has been found to be linked to a variety of related health problems, including elevated susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, increased body fat percentage in children and adults, and a earlier age of the menstrual cycle.
“This work further highlights how central the brain is to the genetics of obesity and provides us with a strategy for further studies,” the researchers conclude. (HANDLE).
Possible genetic cause of obesity in children discovered – Health and Wellbeing
The Impact of Female Doctors: Lower Death Rates Found Among Female Patients, Study Shows
Does the Sex of Your Doctor Impact Your Health?
Female Patients Have Lower Death Rate When Treated by Women Doctors
Recent research conducted by UCLA and published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed intriguing findings about the impact of a doctor’s gender on patient outcomes.
In the study, it was discovered that female patients treated by women doctors had a lower death rate compared to those treated by male physicians, but the reasons behind this phenomenon remain unclear.
While there seems to be no biological explanation for this difference, researchers suggest that it might be attributed to the unconscious bias of male doctors, who may underestimate the severity of a female patient’s illness.
Previous studies also indicate that male medics tend to underestimate women’s pain levels, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as stroke risk, making the findings of this study a reasonable conclusion.
Psychological Comfort and Tailored Care: Improvement with Women Doctors
It is also possible that the presence of a female doctor makes some women feel more comfortable discussing their symptoms, leading to more accurate diagnoses and more tailored care.
In the past, women in the medical profession were considered “unsuitable” and lacking the necessary mental and physical stamina for the job, with limited career paths.
However, the situation has drastically changed with the increasing number of women pursuing medical careers. In some medical schools, female students now comprise up to 80% of the student body, marking a tremendous shift in gender balance.
Part-Time Work and the Future of Healthcare
As more women join the medical profession, it is anticipated that the number of doctors working part-time will subsequently increase, given that 38% of female consultants and two-thirds of GPs already choose less than full-time employment.
Regrettably, the current medical school capacity fails to align adequately with this evolving workforce, leading to a potential crisis in healthcare in the future.
Not only the UK, but the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan are all affected by this shifting dynamic, causing hardships in healthcare planning and resulting in doctor shortages within hospitals and primary care.
The Gift of Life: Organ Donation During a Transplant Crisis
The number of patients on transplant waiting lists has surged to a decade-long high, while the availability of donor organs has yet to recover after the pandemic. This highlights the critical importance of organ donation.
Review: Insightful and Gripping Drama on Stalking
The recently released autobiographical drama series, “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix, provides a compelling exploration of the stalking experiences of the lead character, Donny, played by Richard Gadd.
This thought-provoking series offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of stalking, delving into the development of such situations and unveiling the ambiguity and uncertainty victims often face. It also conveys a heart-wrenching portrait of obsession caused by misinterpreted signals.
The Deteriorating Doctor-Patient Relationship
A concerning trend revealed by a recent poll conducted for the Liberal Democrats indicates that nearly half of all patients have infrequent or rare contact with the same general practitioner, indicating a significant shift in medical care.
This shift away from doctors having a longstanding relationship with their patients, knowing their medical history, and establishing trust has detrimental effects, as strong doctor-patient relationships have shown tremendous value in healthcare outcomes.
Dr. Max Recommends: Exploring the Psychology of Memory
If you have ever experienced moments of forgetfulness, such as misplacing your keys, don’t be alarmed. According to “The Psychology of Memory” by Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Althea Need Kaminske, our brains intentionally forget certain things to prioritize and store other information.
The book also provides valuable insights and techniques for remembering names and numbers.
The Impact of Female Doctors: Lower Death Rates Found Among Female Patients, Study Shows
Causes intestinal cancer
VIENNA (EFE).— The plastic we ingest not only cannot be eliminated but spreads through cell division, which could even favor cancer metastasis, according to a study by Austrian universities published in the magazine “Chemosphere.” .
The work recalls that the intestinal tract is the main route of entry and exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MNP), and analyzes the interaction between these substances and various types of cells that appear in colorectal tumors, a type of intestinal cancer.
Previous research estimated that about five grams of these substances are ingested each week, which is equivalent to the weight of a credit card.
The new study points out that particles smaller than a micrometer (one-thousandth of a millimeter) increase cell migration.
“Cells that absorb nanoplastic migrate differently and this can increase potential cancer cells from traveling to other organs and, therefore, increase metastasis,” explains Verena Pichler, a director of the study.
However, this work cannot confirm or rule out that the presence of MNP causes cancer progression, since exposure to plastics is a type of chronic poisoning that occurs over years and is difficult to measure.
However, Dr. Pichler points out, the results do seem to show that “there is a very potentiating effect, that the cancer spreads more quickly and, therefore, becomes more aggressive or invasive.”
This study indicates that, like other types of waste or foreign bodies, MNPs are absorbed by the cell’s lysosomes, an organelle that is responsible for “digesting” and eliminating these elements.
However, unlike waste of biological origin, such as viruses, bacteria or cell remains, microplastic does not decompose.
In fact, not only is the cell unable to eliminate MNPs, but these particles spread from one to another through cell division.
“Ingestion of MNPs does not slow cell proliferation or have an impact on cell division, but a cell passes MNPs to new cells during the division process, therefore it is not excreted, but rather remains within the body,” Pichler points out.
Regarding potential practical uses of these conclusions, Pichler acknowledges that studies are lacking and that the idea is very speculative, but that the same MNP expansion process could be applied to nanoparticles that integrated like a “Trojan horse” and transported a drug. inside the cell.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the University of Vienna, the University of Medicine of the Austrian capital and CMmed, a public-private research center, participated in the study.
#intestinal #cancer
2024-05-06 06:01:37
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